My first time quitting

[Karleedesiree]

I decided on Sunday February 14th I wasn't going to smoke anymore cigarettes. I told my husband on Friday the 12th I was thinking about it and had smoked 2 cigarettes that day and one on Saturday. I generally smoke anywhere between 4 and 10 cigarettes a day, depending on what I'm doing that day, if I'm drinking any alcohol or smoking anything else. It wasn't difficult to stop because I have had this lower respiratory infection for almost 2 weeks and my cough had gotten so bad I was out of breath most of the time anyway, not wanting a cigarette.

I think I started to try cigarettes when I was 14. I did it with my friends because my parents and their parents did it so we thought it was cool and helped with stress. I don't think I started smoking everyday until I was 16 or 17. I'm 25 now. The hardest thing for me right now is I don't feel like I want to quit. I have almost a full pack in my car, and I don't plan on smoking any of it, but I'm not ready to throw them away. I also don't want to break my streak. Another hard thing is I am also quitting daily marijuana because I don't think I can smoke without needing a cigarette as well. The same goes for alcohol. I know I'm only 4-6 days in, but I'm not having that difficult of a time when it comes to physical withdrawal. It's the emotional and psychological part for me. I don't know what to do with my time. I miss getting off of my 12 hour shift at the hospital and getting high then smoking cigarettes on the patio for an hour to get rid of the day. And I'm preemptively missing other moments where I'll want a cigarette. I'm terrified of No Man's Land and it taking more than 4 months to kick this. I know I need to sit down and write out reasons why I want to quit but I don't feel like I have any. I am also PMSing so I'm emotional. The odds just feel like they are stacked against me for this first 2 weeks, and then I read that it continues to be hard for 4 months after the fact.. honestly I'm just bullheaded and proud that I've made it 4 whole days without smoking, and that's why I don't want another.

I wanted to make this post to vent, maybe get a quitting friend or at least someone I can talk to, and have something to look back on later as I continue through this journey. 

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk. 

My name is karlee and I'm addicted to cigarettes and marijuana. 

'Til next time

[indingrl]

Thanks for sharing Karlee and YOU are correct YOU need to EDUCATE YOURSELF by gathering YOUR OLD ADDICT. MINDSET addiction of YOUR habits and patterns  and then THROW them ALL away and YOUR idea that YOUR -  FEELINGS thinking - FEELINGS come and go and are fickle - YOU NEED A NEW MINDSET - by gathering info from blogs that will KEEP you a NON SMOKER - ONE day at a time with YOU gathering NEW QUIT TOOLS that YOU choose to cope with YOUR feelings and being responsible to NOT SUCK ON DEATH STICKS - over YOU and YOUR FEELINGS - YOU gather QUIT TOOLS PERSONAL that will KEEP YOU learning and HELPING YOU to grow up and mature to handle YOURSELF in NEW ways of COPING with YOUR choices -  YOUR life and YOUR FFFFEEELLLIINGGGSS without SUCKING ON DEATH STICKS - EXample when a crave HITS grab a lemon and bite into it peel and all - IT BUSTS the crave and YOU will NOT be thinking of SUCKING ON A DEATH STICK - EXample when a crave HITS - have YOUR QUIT TOOL snacks ready to grab - celery and carrot sticks OR apples OR oranges OR cinnamon flavored toothpicks OR applesauce with cinnamon OR jog place really fast for  2 minutes- these are just some NEW coping skills that HELP bust craves and HELP to learn how to live as a NON SMOKER and STAY QUIT - gather YOUR favorite stuff - just for YOU and YOUR NEW LIFESTYLE as a NON SMOKER  - YOU Karlee- choose of your OWN free will to -  put as MUCH into STAYING QUIT as YOU did into SUCKING ON DEATH STICKS - it TAKES alot of work to EXscape YOURSELF and it will take alot of WORK to STAY A NON SMOKER coping with YOURSELF and life on lifes terms  - always remember.  - it is ALL on YOUR choice to live or die - YOU are NOT EXempt - SUCKING ON DEATH STICKS CAUSES LUNG CANCER - and IF YOU Karkee CHOOSE to continue SMOKING YOU know the consequences of YOIR PERSONAL CHOICE and FYI SUCKING ON DEATH STICKS has MANY consequences - just READ for YOURSELF about the FIRST PUFF and what it does to YOUR BODY - thanks for letting ME share and please remember. - NO one can DO for YOU what YOU want to DO for YOU - YOUR FREE WILL choices get YOU EXactly what YOU CHOOSE - NON SMOKER OR SMOKER - life OR death - and YOUR choice consequences - please blog BEFORE you take that first PUFF over YOU - I am very glad YOU are FOUR DAYS NICOTINE AND MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL FREE - WAY TO GO

[indingrl]

Karlee FOUR DAYS NICOTINE AND MARIJUANA AND ALCOHOL FREE- Yahoooooo-'

[sweetplt]

Hi Karlee Karleedesiree and Welcome to Ex’s...

I am glad you found our site...Many of us smoked for 40 or more years and like me, quit smoking now for over two years...I have health effects from smoking so long, so you are smart in quitting young.  Please read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX here you plan for your quit and your quit day...then right before quitting, you rid all smoking paraphernalia.  Be sure to read on addiction and quitting on the net and/or here at Ex’s...”knowledge is power”....Try to find things to do (healthy) in place of smoking.  You can do this...it takes hard work and a commitment.  For many of us drinking alcohol early in the quit is a no-no because then we want to smoke.  We are here for you...come to the support site daily...now getting working on your quit....~ Colleen 808 DOF 

[Barbscloud]

Welcome and congrats on your decision.  It's great that you've decided to quit at such a young age.  Many of us smoked for 40 or 50 years.  By quitting so young, hopefully you can avoid many of the health issues other quitters are facing.  Read everything you can on this site to educate yourself about nicotine, tools to use, learning new associations, etc. Having the support of other quitters made all the difference for me.  We're here to support you and want to celebrate your success.  Just reach out anytime.

Barb

[Hannahkim12345]

It sounds like you already have lung issues and that’s the reason that you had to not smoke. Think it as a blessing in disguise. I quit because I got Covid. I have been thinking about quitting but just couldn’t make that commitment but getting Covid was just a perfect motivator. When I want to smoke I ask myself do I want to lug around an oxygen tank for the rest of my life. That’s inevitable if we continue to smoke. Karlee, quit now before you do permanent damage to your lung and other organs. Did you know once you damage your lungs it can never repair itself?

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

Congratulations on your decision to quit and, I believe, your first successful four days.  The nicotine was out of your system after about the third day. It will take a month or so for your body systems to adjust to life without the drugs.  I think the more difficult part of this process is dealing with the associations and triggers, the psychological part of the addiction.  The key to conquering it is education, changing up your routines, distracting yourself when you start craving the drug.  You are wise not to drink alcohol early in this process.  Your addictive brain might tell you that "just one will be OK" when your defenses are down.  There is never, ever going to be such as thing as"just one cigarette or one puff." to you.  It will always, maybe not right away but always, lead you back to where you started as a full-time smoker.

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.”    You can search for it online or at your local library.  Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! .  Take a different route to work so the scenery is different.  Count the red cars you see, or pick-ups.  Play music and sing aloud with it.. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.  Maybe go for a walk after work to relieve the stress of the day, or find a video with an exercise routine until the weather improves.
 
You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. You might visit “Games”: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/games. The active ones are at the top of the list going down the left side of the homepage.   Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

 Nancy

P.S.  Get RID of the cigarettes and any marijuana in your possession  Keeping any around is just giving yourself permission to fail.  No reason not to expect success.  I quit on my first and only attempt over 8 1/2 years ago.  You CAN do it, too!

[maryfreecig]

Great work! You are doing it--made a decision and taking action every day to get where you want to go. Keep at it. The first weeks are weird for most of us, so try to be extremely kind to yourself--because the good part comes after the storm. Keep the faith. You are on the right track. Ex is always here to support you in your goal!!!

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Welcome to the EX community.  You have come to the right place for support for smoking cessation., Thank you for sharing your story with us. All the things that you say you don't want to do are because of nicotine addiction. Smoking has been your security blanket. That may be the reason you are holding on to the smokes just in case. The addictive brain tells us that we have to have cigarettes.  Once you relearn your thinking about smoking you will become willing to do whatever it takes to not take another puff no matter what is happening in your life. Quitting takes a lot of work and willingness to let it go.  All of it.  Like any other drug, we have to go through withdrawal.  As you stated you are not having a difficult time with that.  I hope that will continue. Education is the key to a successful quit.  Please read the suggested material. Wishing you much success on your new journey to freedom. The journey continues one day at a time. 

[DavesTime]

Karlee, you sound like you are overwhelmed, taking on the weight of months of quitting at one time. And it can seem like too much of a mountain at first.  But know this: every day of the four months that you are fearing will NOT be as formidable as the first few days and weeks of quitting.  If they were, many of us would not have made it to become long-term freedom from our addiction.  Like others have said, keep reading, use the tools that are offered, listen to what others have said....and keep posting!  Call out for help if you are tempted to give in before you give in.  A BIG suggestion: get rid of that pack in the car!!!  If you are like I was , it would be too much of a temptation.  Crush them, run them under water, and throw them away. You are so smart to quit when you are young, because the addiction will just become more ingrained the longer you smoke.  Trust me on that.  Like you, I wasn't a heavy smoker, but it HAS taken a toll on my health.  Glad you are here!  Press on, and take it one day at a time

Dave

890 days of freedom